Besides Rogers and Hammerstein's version, other musical adaptations of the Cinderella tale do exist. Perhaps there is even a British film version with the same songwriters as Disney's Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book: Richard and Robert Sherman.
The Slipper and the Rose has engaging songs throughout. All of them develop the story, characters, and/or themes, but the rhythmic What a Comforting Thing was not as necessary. Prince Edward (this version's Prince Charming) sings about his future burial with the other kings, which adds nothing to the story. As much as I enjoyed the beat and choreography of the song, the story would be the same without it.
Unlike other Cinderella adaptations, The Slipper and the Rose is mainly focused on the prince's desire for love. The scenes focusing on him can drag at times. Besides, I feel like I've seen this type of prince in many other Cinderella movies. I love Prince Edward's willingness to fight for what he wants, though.
As for Cinderella, her stepfamily turns her into a servant and sends her to the basement after coming home from her father's funeral. She leaves flowers at her parents' grave singing about losing love but keeping optimism. Gemma Craven does a great job performing as Cinderella; I also like her hairstyle. At first, I was not too into her singing, but I warmed up to it.
The stepmother speaks to Cinderella like an angry parent would (i.e. "Why don't you answer my call?"); she also claims to be kind when turning her stepdaughter into a servant instead of sending her to the orphanage. Her daughters are your typical wicked stepsisters with beautiful names: Isobella and Palatine.
The movie has elegant costumes with wigs and a slightly Gothic set design. Not only are these visuals nice to look at, but they also suggest a specific time period: the eighteenth century. The film is well-lit, too.
However, the fairy godmother is the real highlight of The Slipper and the Rose. She first meets Cinderella as a traveler seeking shelter. The fairy godmother has a dog that allows her to help Cinderella multiple times, even while she does her chores. Besides, the fairy godmother does not even look like a fairy; she looks like a typical traveling woman. She also has an office full of fairy-tale references, including doves named Hansel and Gretel and a quote from Robin Hood. Annette Crosbie really makes the typical fairy godmother her own.
One more aspect of The Slipper and the Rose I enjoyed was the old-fashioned text that appeared in the beginning and end credits. The end credits, especially, stand out since the characters step out as their actors' names appear.
The Slipper and the Rose is longer than many other Cinderella movies with a run time of two hours and twenty-two minutes. As a result, the plot can sometimes drag, especially at the end. When I thought the movie was ending, more conflicts arose. This is not a bad thing, but viewers who can't sit down for two hours straight might want to break up their viewing of the film.
Here is one last comment: a slipper is more relevant in the film than a rose. If Cinderella looks for Prince Edward's rose while he searched for the glass slipper, the title would've described the story better.
The Slipper and the Rose is not as enjoyable as the 1997 Rogers and Hammerstein's musical nor Mary Poppins, but it ages better than the 2021 Cinderella film. All fairy-tale fans can get something out of this movie, but those who also love period dramas and musicals will enjoy it the most.
Of course, the film is live-action. I could not find a free image from the movie to use here, so I drew a picture of the movie's symbols instead.
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